Grieving the Death of your Pet

Unfortunately, in our society the death of a pet is not recognised as is the death of a member of our family. To many of us pet owners, our pet is an important member of our family, but to the non-pet owners a pet is seen as just a pet. To those who don’t own pets, when a pet passes away they will say they are sorry and then they seem to move on. This reaction is reason why so many of us usually suppress our feelings and don’t allow ourselves to grieve for our pet in the meaningful way that we should. The important thing to remember is that we have lost someone or something very dear to us and we should never allow ourselves not to take the time to grieve for that loss.

When we lose our pet a big part of us has been taken away and we will always have a special place in our heart for that special pet. At times like this some of us may grieve more than others or grieve in different ways. Everyone should take the time to grieve for the loss of their pet in their own way.

Some ideas to help you grieve:

At the time of death before you have your pet cremated or buried you can take the time to say goodbye. Do not rush this meaningful step, but take the time to be with your pet even though he or she has already passed away. Say goodbye from your heart, thank them for their loyalty, companionship, all the fun you had together, etc..

Keep a lock of hair, or keep their collar, their favorite toy, pictures etc., and over time create a memory box containing these treasured items.

You can have a little funeral or memorial service, either with your deceased pet present or with the ashes after the cremation. Have a gathering with friends and family to share stories together, read poems and do whatever else would be meaningful to you and others during this gathering

If you are thinking of scattering the cremated remains you can hold a service with friends and family at that time to remember your pet.

There is no right or wrong way of doing a service to remember your pet. You should do what you feel is right for you. The important thing is that you set aside some quality time and take the time to start grieving. Once you do the initial service you will find going through the grief cycle to be easier.